National Library visitor numbers outstrip pre-pandemic levels

The National Library of Scotland experienced its busiest summer since 2017 with visits to George IV Bridge up 30 per cent on pre-Covid levels.

While the surge in numbers could be attributed to a general uptake in visitors to Scotland’s capital, National Librarian Amina Shah says the Library has transformed its public programmes offer over the past five years.

“Not long before I was appointed in this job, the Library launched a strategy called ‘Reaching People’, named after its primary goal of broadening our audiences. We embarked on a major project to understand those we were reaching and those we were not reaching. This, coupled with the phenomenal hard work of my colleagues carrying out outreach activities, has boosted visits to our exhibitions and events.

“What we’re finding out, particularly post-Covid, is that people are hugely invested in libraries. They care about them and they care about places they can go to meet other people and to engage with the collections. Covid brought home even more to people how important it is to see ‘the real thing’, and to have real experiences. And I think that’s why we’ve seen this uptake in general.”

The Library also achieved other targets, such as having a third of the collections in digital format by 2025 (completed two years early). This enables people to access a large swath of the collections from anywhere in the world.

“We have at least 45,000 members across the country, from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders, plus more members throughout the UK and further afield. Not all of them are able to get to our reading rooms, so providing access via our website is crucial in enabling the people of Scotland to benefit from access to their national collections, and for sharing Scotland’s stories with the world. Our revamped website, due for launch in summer next year will also help to bring the collections to life.

“We also had a target to reduce our hidden collections. And what I mean by ‘hidden collections’ is, we’ve got them, they’re in the library, but we’ve not managed to catalogue them so people are unable to find out what’s there, or what’s available. We were going to reduce that by 75 percent by 2025. We have now reduced it by 78.5 percent, and we’re just at the end of 2024. So those are massive pieces of work which make a real difference.”

The Library will consult on its next strategy at the end of January, the same day it will announce its centenary programme. Amina Shah says the next strategy will build upon the foundational work of ‘Reaching People’ such as the audience programme and environmental work.

“Now we know who our audiences are, the next five years will be focused on us having more of a physical presence around the country. Working with partners around Scotland will be crucial in allowing this to happen.

“We’ve reduced our carbon footprint by almost 75 per cent since 2008. We’re at the point now where we’re getting to the really difficult pieces of work around environmental sustainability. It’s not just what we do as an organisation, but it’s about how people arrive here and what they do when they interact with us, and that’s more difficult to measure. But continuing to reduce our carbon footprint will be key focus of the strategy.”

Amina Shah says that while the post-pandemic conditions continue to be challenging, the National Library will do everything it can to mark its 100th birthday throughout 2025 and also celebrate libraries more broadly.

“You’re only 100 once. And while we have so much to celebrate as a national library, we don’t work alone. Libraries in Scotland are part of a network and we want to take the opportunity to celebrate all kinds of libraries and the impact they have on people’s lives.  

“During a cost-of-living crisis when there are huge pressures and problems for people, there’s an opportunity to remember what it is to share books and knowledge and information. The purpose of libraries at their very heart was always around sharing things and sharing resources in a community. That seems to be very much the spirit that people are returning to which is heartwarming and hopeful.”

On now at the National Library at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh:

• Tusitala: Pacific Perspectives on Robert Louis Stevenson – until 10 May 2025
• Renaissance: Scotland and Europe 1480 to 1630 – until 21 April 2025
• Treasures of the National Library of Scotland – a permanent exhibition with new items on display on a regular basis

For full details of exhibitions and events at the National Library’s buildings – including Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, visit nls.uk/whats-on